Chapter 12 of The Impossibles is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Impossibles is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Then Lynch's voice was back. "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said. "Can't tell how many for sure. But they're talking and moving around." "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
Chapter 12 of The Impossibles is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading “"It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.”
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading “"Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.”
in motion
From this reading “But they're talking and moving around."”
select carefully from a group
From this reading “"It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.”
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading “"Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.”
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading “"It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.”
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading “But they're talking and moving around."”
the upper part of anything
From this reading “"Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But they're talking and moving around."
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading But they're talking and moving around."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Then Lynch's voice was back.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But they're talking and moving around."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Can't tell how many for sure.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Can't tell how many for sure.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Can't tell how many for sure.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Lynch's voice was back.
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading "Can't tell how many for sure.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
in motion
From this reading But they're talking and moving around."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
select carefully from a group
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Can't tell how many for sure.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading But they're talking and moving around."
express in words
From this reading "Can't tell how many for sure.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Lynch's voice was back.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
the upper part of anything
From this reading "Sergeant McNulty says they're on the top floor, Malone," he said.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Then Lynch's voice was back.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then Lynch's voice was back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
the words that are spoken
From this reading "It's a shame these things won't pick up the actual words at a distance," Malone said.
Chapter 12 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 12 holds 421 sentences of The Impossibles, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Impossibles by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Impossibles section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Impossibles to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Impossibles, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
